Jean Ristat founded the magazine collection Digraph in 1974, as suggested by his professor of philosophy, Jacques Derrida, which he then put to the recent essay on Plato's Pharmacy (see the supplement to the edition of 1974).
He is currently the director of French Letters, French literary supplement of the daily L'Humanité.
He is also responsible for publishing the complete writings of Aragon, for whom he is the literary executor.
Awards
1971 Fénéon Prize, for Du coup d'Etat en littérature
2008 Mallarmé prize, for Artémis chasse à courre, le sanglier, le cerf et le loup
Works
The Writings of Nicolas Boileau and Jules Verne L'Herne, 1965. Reissued as The lost writings, Gallimard, 1974, with an afterword by Louis Aragon.
Coups d'État in literature, followed by examples from the Bible and ancient authors, Gallimard, 1970.
The entrance to the bay and taking the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1711, a tragi-comedy,followed by The unknown is not anything, dialogue with Roland Barthes, EFR, 1973.
Who are the contemporary, Gallimard, 1975.
Lord B, a novel in letters, with conversations, Gallimard, 1977.
Ode to hasten the coming of Spring, Gallimard, 1978. Reissued in paperback "Poetry", Gallimard, 2008, with a short bio-bibliographic record and a long preface of Omar Berrada.
The wig of the old Lenin,tragi-comedy, Gallimard, 1980.
Digraph, 1974–1981, Flammarion, 1981.
Tomb of Mr. Aragon, Gallimard, 1983. Reissued in paperback "Poetry", Gallimard, 2008, withOde.
The Wreck of the Medusa, heroic comedy, Gallimard, 1986.
The carnage to Pythagoras, occasional poem in four acts written to celebrate the founding of the French Republic, Gallimard, 1991.
The love of parliament, praised Mr. Burattoni sitting on the tomb of Virgil and drawing, Gallimard, 1993.
